Dolores Renee Ellis, Age 92 entered her eternal heavenly home on Sunday, October 16, 2022. Funeral services will be held on Monday, October 24 ^th , 2022 at 1:00PM at the Mason Funeral Home in Winner, SD. Burial will follow in the Winner City Cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the services.

She was born on August 26, 1930 to Leo Burton Heath and Mildred Estella Schurman in Chicago Illinois and was baptized by her Grandfather Pastor W.G. Schurman, in the Nazarene Church.

After graduating from High School, she met Fred Ellis who was in the Army National Guard and was stationed in Chicago area. They married on October 22, 1949 and returned to a ranch north of Wood, South Dakota.  They moved to White River when they purchased a ranch in White River where they raised their five children.  They joined the St Paul's Lutheran Church in White River where she played the organ for Sunday services and numerous weddings.

She graduated from Black Hills State University with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Education.  She was an EMT in Spearfish, a member of the Black Hills Flying Club and on the Spearfish Police Reserve. She loved Hot Air ballooning and river rafting.  She persisted in her independence and in doing it her way.

She joined the Peace Corp and went to Sierra Leone Africa. Then moved to Champaign Illinois where she worked in the Library at The University of Illinois in the Exchange Library coordinating the exchange of books with other universities around the world.  She was an active member of the St. Mathews Lutheran Church in Urbana, Il.  After retiring she moved to Pierre, South Dakota where she lived in Edgewood Senior Living. She joined Lutheran Memorial Church in Pierre.

She is preceded in death by Mother, Father, her Step-Father and Brother Leo Burton Heath, Jr.

She is survived by her sister Karen Johnson of Wisconsin, Gary, Stan (Bonnie), Andrea (Walt), Audrey (Dana) and Harlan (Deidre). 16 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren.